


When the World Falls Apart

by DreamDragon31



Series: Aftermath [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Dealing with Disease, Delusions, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Rafael McCall (mentioned) - Freeform, Scott McCall (mentioned) - Freeform, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Stilinski Family Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-05-25
Packaged: 2018-06-10 16:46:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6965008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamDragon31/pseuds/DreamDragon31
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happened after Claudia attacked Stiles on the roof? How did he learn to forget that night? After Claudia attacks Stiles, John Stilinski tries to keep his little family from falling apart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. That Night

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the comments on my first story, I decided to make a sort of 'Aftermath' series. Well that and I always love coming up with 'what happened next?' after scenes I love cut away. Sometimes those cutaways are the most frustrating! The heartbreaking scene of Claudia Stilinski attacking Stiles on the roof of the hospital in s05 eps06 absolutely broke me so this continues where Stiles's hallucination broke off when he the chimera attacked him. This is what I think happened that night with his mother and how he pushed that memory into the depths of his mind. Enjoy and please let me know what you think!

The hits hurt. Nails clawed his arms and face, leaving red lines and marks. A few uneven nails left scratches that started bleeding. Stiles tried to roll into a ball to protect his head as much as he could, covering his ears with his hands. But it wasn't the actual physical hits that hurt him the most. It was the fact that the one doing the hitting was his mom. His own beloved mother who was suffering from dementia. It didn't make sense to the ten-year-old even though he had looked up her dementia online and knew she was dying. This was just a hallucination, but her words haunted him. 

"He wants to kill me. Look at the way he's looking at me," she had told his dad. Then, right before she launched herself at him. "Stop looking at me!"

"Mom! What are you doing?! Please stop! Mama, please!" he begged her to stop.

Suddenly, her weight was gone and the hitting stopped. She continued yelling though. Insults calling him evil, spawn of satan, and saying he should never have been born filtered through his ears and his own tears. Another voice shouted over his mother's. It took several minutes for it to register in his scared brain.

"Stiles! Stiles! Go! Go find Melissa and Dr. Gardiner!" His dad called out, struggling to contain his wife from attacking his son again. When Claudia had launched herself at their little boy, he had been shocked and unable to stop her. Only when she began hitting him and he heard his boy's whimpers and cries did John manage to break his shocked paralysis. He rushed over and grabbed Claudia around her waist and pulled her as far from Stiles as he could. Now he was trying desperately to keep his son from getting hurt further by his own mother. "Stiles, go! Tell them we found her and where we are! Go!"

Stiles unfurled and pushed himself up. He stumbled getting his feet under him and ran back through the roof access door. John could hear his sobs the entire way. Stiles ran down the stairs. His eyesight was blurred from the tears. He could barely see where he was going. He careened onto a floor, not even sure which one it was, and ran through the halls looking for the one person he felt safe with right now. He turned left, right, and then left again before running smack into the very person he was looking for. Sobbing, he threw his arms around Melissa's waist and held tight.

"Whoa, hey. Hey. Stiles. What is it? What's wrong?" Melissa asked, startled. She hugged the shaking boy. "Sweetie, what is it?"

Stiles could barely breath and only sobbed harder. He tightened his grip around her waist was she bent over slightly and hugged him back. Distantly, he heard other people run up and frantic questions being asked. Melissa gently pulled away from him much to his distress, but she simply bent down in front of him to better grab his attention. She looked stunned for a second at his face and then quickly hid it. 

"Stiles. Breathe, kiddo. Take a couple of deep breaths," the nurse instructed. Stiles struggled to follow. "Good, good. Now, sweetie, what happened? Did you find your mother?"

Tears streamed down his face as he nodded. "S-s-s-she's o-o-o-n t-the r-r-r-roof. D-d-d-dad has her."

Melissa nodded and looked at the two men behind her. She said something that the boy didn't catch because he was sobbing so hard. He could barely even see the nurse as it was. She turned back to him as the two figures behind her hurried off and he wrapped his arms around her neck, pressing his face into her neck and crying harder.

"Oh, sweetie. It's okay," she whispered softly, hugging him back. "It's going to be okay."

Melissa hugged him back tightly and rubbed his back. After a couple of minutes, when it didn't look like Stiles's sobs were going to stop anytime soon, Melissa tightened her grip and stood, picking up the small boy in the process. Stiles wrapped his legs around the nurse's waist and held tightly.

"Come on, baby," she said softly. "Let's get you taken care of, okay?"

As she carried him away, she could hear the commotion coming down the hall Stiles had turned from. She turned down a quieter hall, trying to get away from the shouts and the commotion. In would do the traumatized child no good to see or hear what was going on behind them. At the elevators, she pressed the down button and took him to the 4th floor. It was the same floor his mother was staying on and it would be easy for John to find them. She carried him to an examination room across from the nurse's station but didn't put him down immediately. Instead, she sat on the bed herself and rocked him while rubbing his back comfortingly. The nurse held him and let him sob. It was a long time before Stiles quieted and just lay in her arms.

Eventually, Melissa approached the subject gently. "Stiles, sweetie, what happened?"

The boy took a shaky breath and after a moment said softly "I-I-I wanted to help find her and I did. On the roof. Dad must have known, he was right behind me. She was upset, angry. I don't know what I did, Mrs. McCall. She suddenly started yelling and ran at me. S-s-s-s-s-she hit me and scratched m-m-m-me." Stiles started crying again.

Melissa felt her heart break. "Oh, Stiles. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." She didn't know what to say. Ten minutes later, after the tears stopped, she ventured, "Are you in any pain?"

The ten-year-old shook his head and gripped her tighter. The mother in her knew he was lying. She had seen the damage Claudia had managed to inflict on his face and she could only imagine what else she had managed to do. "Baby, I need to look you over, okay? Just to make sure you're okay. It shouldn't take long."

Stiles sighed tiredly. "I want my dad."

“I’ll tell you what. Let's get you cleaned up and I'll go get him." After several moments, Stiles nodded and loosened his grip around her neck. Melissa gently eased him onto the bed and slid out from under him. Standing down in front of him, she got a good look at the damage Claudia managed to inflict on the child.

There were red lines across Stiles's cheeks and forehead. Three started on his forehead and ran down to his cheek across his eye. Three of the scratches across his other cheek were bleeding lightly. His face and nose was red and blotchy from crying. Tears still leaked from his eyes. Gently, the nurse moved his head to the side to look his neck where a small bruise was forming near his collarbone. She probed it lightly to ensure that the collarbone wasn't broken. Next, she took his right arm in her hand and turned it left and right. The amount of scratches and bruises on his arm made her think of something.

"Stiles, sweetie, did she push you down? And you had to curl up to protect yourself?" When he nodded, she added softly, " I need to look at your back in a minute, okay?"

Again, he nodded sniffling and she went back to looking over his arms. Most of the scratches were superficial and thin. There were a few that could use bandages, but it wasn't as bad as they looked. He whimpered when she grasped his left wrist and she examined it deeper but found only a darkening bruise. It didn't appear sprained. Next, the nurse helped him turn around and after hunching him forward, pulled up him hoodie. She sighed when she saw the darkening bruises that covered the entirety of his back. This appeared to be where the most physical damage was located. She dropped it back down and squeezed his shoulder.

"Sweetie. I need you to stay here, okay? I'm going to go get the bandages and ointments to help. I'll be right back." 

Stiles looked at her panicked but then he nodded. She eyed him for a moment but he refused to look her in the eye. Melissa left closing the door softly behind her. She hadn't gone more than a few steps when John came barreling down the hall. He looked frazzled, frightened, and stressed. Melissa held up her hands to slow him down.

"John. John! Wait! Stop!" He slowed in front of her and she forced his motion completely by putting her hands on his shoulders. "You need to stop."

"Stiles! Did he find you? Is he okay?" John asked in rapid-fire succession. He was panting hard as he looked around for his child.

"John, breathe. You need to breathe," Melissa commanded, worried he was going to have a heart attack or make himself faint. "Stiles found me. He's going to be fine, but before you see him, you need to calm down."

"Melissa, where is my son? I need to see him."

"No, you need to calm down first," Melissa said sternly. She forced him to look at her. "John, look at me. I won't let you see him until you calm down. He is very scared and traumatized right now and you barging him in on him in this state will not help!"

Her words seemed to filter through his tunnel vision and John felt himself deflate with tears filling his eyes. He collapsed into a nearby chair. "I don't know what I'm doing, Melissa. Claudia thinks Stiles, our sweet little Stiles, is trying to kill her. I'm losing her. How do I protect him from this?"

Melissa sighed and took the seat beside him. "You're doing the best you can. That's all you can do."

John rubbed a tired hand over his face. "How is he?"

"Scared. Quiet. He has a few superficial cuts and bruises. His back looks the worse and will probably hurt for the next several days but he'll be okay. I think he's more shaken up than anything."

John nodded slowly. "I should be with him."

"Take a couple more minutes. Stiles needs you to be the strong, fearless father he knows and loves right now. It's his constant. If you're anything less, it's going to upset him more." John nodded. It was hard but Melissa was right. "How's Claudia?"

"Sedated," John sighed.

"John, what happened? I've never seen Stiles so scraped raw and scared before."

"He managed to find her on the roof. I don't know how. She wasn't listening to him so I tried to get her inside but she started to tell me that she couldn't be in the room with Stiles anymore. That he was trying to kill her. Melissa, she really believed that our ten-year-old child was trying to kill her." He stopped and shook his head. "Anyway, somehow, she managed to pull away from me. God, it happened so fast. Next thing, I know she's managed to push Stiles now and is just hitting him over and over and clawing at him. I couldn't believe it. I finally pulled her off of him and yelled for him to run and find you. I knew he found you when two orderlies appeared to help me with her. We got her back to her room and they sedated her. She'll be out until sometime tomorrow."

"My God, poor Stiles. No wonder he was so upset." Melissa was in shock. She had known Claudia for several years now and the woman loved her son with every fiber of her being. The sight of his mother running at him must have scared the child deeply. She looked back at the man beside her. John was exhausted. Between dealing with his wife's disease, taking care of Stiles, and his job as Sheriff of Beacon Hill, the man was running himself ragged. "John, you two need a break. Why don't you and Stiles take a weekend trip? Get out of Beacon Hills for awhile. No school, no work, no hospital."

"I can't do that. I can't leave Claudia here alone."

Melissa sighed. "It would just be for a couple of days. She'll be fine here and I'll be here if anything happens. You know she will be. Stiles needs you right now. He needs your undivided attention to recenter himself and you both could use a few days of good sleep."

John wanted to protest, wanted to disagree but he couldn't. The nurse was right. He was so tired and he hadn't even looked in on his kid yet. Finally, after several minutes of quiet thinking, he promised he would think about it. Taking a deep breath and rubbing his face in an attempt to wipe away the stress and tears, he asked "Now. Where's Stiles? I want to be with him."

"He in that room across the hall," Melissa pointed toward the closed door. "Why don't you go in with him? I need to get some bandages and ointment for his wounds. It should only take me a minute."

The Sheriff thanked her and stood. As she walked off down the hall, he crossed the hall. At the door he paused and took a deep breath. Then, he slowly opened the door. Stiles was sitting in the middle of the bed, his knees pulled up to chest with his arms encircling them. His head was resting on his arms. Even from the doorway, John could see the boy was shaking. He stepped into the room and quietly shut the door. His son still didn't look up, so John moved to the bed and sat down next to his son.

Stiles looked up and the Sheriff felt his heart break. Tears were falling at a rapid pace. His son's face was red and blotchy, but he could clearly see the scratches Claudia had left on his cheeks. At the sight of him, Stiles started breathing heavily.

"D-d-daddy, I-I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to upset her. I-I- just wanted to help find her," he sputtered out, crying harder now. "I-I-I'm not trying to kill her, I-I promise!"

"Oh, kiddo. No. I know," John whispered. He reached for Stiles and the boy crawled into his lap crying uncontrollably now. "I know you were just trying to help. Shhhh, it's alright. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm here now. It's okay. I'm here."

They stayed like that for several minutes with Stiles pressing his face into the crook of his neck. He rocked his son slowly and lightly rubbed his back, occasionally pressing kisses into the boy's hair. "Shhh, you're okay. I'm here."

Eventually, Stiles's sobs stopped though he didn't let go of his father. "I wanna go home."

John nodded. "We will. Let's let Mrs. Melissa clean you up and we will go home, okay?"

Stiles only tightened his arms tighter around his neck. "Mama okay?"

"Yeah, kiddo. She's okay. She's sleeping now and will probably sleep until late tomorrow."

There was a light knock on the door and Melissa poked her head in. "Ready for me?"

John nodded and shifted Stiles so he was still in his lap but facing the nurse who had walked around the bed with her supplies.

"Alright, kiddo, let's try to make this quick, okay?" The nurse said softly.

Stiles nodded. Using a wash cloth, the nurse first washed his face soothing away the snot and the tears and blood from the cuts.. He bit his lip as Melissa began dabbing at the cuts on his face with the rubbing alcohol. The three that ran across his eye were merely red lines. They should fade within a few hours, but as a precautionary measure, the nurse spread some cooling ointment on them to sooth them. On the scratches on his cheek, Melissa spread an antibacterial ointment before putting small bandages over the scratches. She used the soothing ointment on his bruise on his collarbone before moving to the scrapes and cuts on his arms. Again, she cleaned the cuts with rubbing alcohol before putting the antibacterial ointment on them. Stiles closed his eyes and turned his head into his dad's shoulder, sniffling occasionally. Melissa wrapped bandages around his arm to protect the cuts from infection. Finally, it was time for his back.

"I need to look at his back," she whispered to John. The ten-year old-had his eyes closed and appeared to be dozing off.  
The Sheriff nodded and gently turned his son around in his arms. Stiles protested slightly, his eyes opening to mere slits before he settled back against his dad's chest. Melissa gently pulled up his hoodie and shirt and John shifted so he could look at the damage. He hissed at the dark purpling spreading across his son's small, thin back. Melissa spread the cooling ointment across his back, gently rubbing it into the skin. The boy sighed as the pain receded slightly and he got slightly heavier in John's arms.

"Shit," John murmured. "I knew she pushed him down hard, but I didn't realize how hard it actually was."

Melissa nodded. "It'll be painful for a few days but shouldn't leave any scarring or anything permanent.” She reached into her basket sitting on the bedside tray, pulling out a couple of pills. “Here. This will help with the pain and it should help him sleep.”

John took the pills and gently shook Stiles to regain his attention. The boy, emotionally and mentally exhausted, slowly opened his eyes. “Here, kiddo. Take these and you can go back to sleep, okay?”

It took Stiles a couple of minutes to process what his dad wanted him to do. Finally, he took the pills and swallowed them with the help of the cup of water Melissa handed him. John gently began rocking him and rubbing his back. “Good boy. Go to sleep now. It’ll be better soon. I promise.”

Stiles listened to his words, but he didn’t really believe him. Instead, he simply focused on the sound of his father’s voice. It sounded safe and familiar. His mom’s voice hadn’t. It had sounded mean and cruel. Cold. She had never sounded that way before to him and it was terrifying. Gradually, the events of that night faded and exhaustion replaced the instinct to flee. Stiles’s eyes closed and within minutes he was sound asleep.

John tucked his son against his shoulder, his head in the crook of his neck, and kissed his hair. He was thankful that even at ten, Stiles was still small for his age. The boy still fit in his lap and he was able to pick up the boy easily. After a few minutes of just holding Stiles, he whispered to the nurse who was cleaning, "I should get him home. Get him to bed."

"I think that would be a good idea," Melissa whispered back. She watched as John stood, keeping Stiles secure in his arms. The boy unconsciously noting the shift in his dad's position, wrapped his arms around his neck while his father shifted him to have a better grip. "Promise me you'll at least think about what I said about taking a break."

The Sheriff smiled his thanks and promised. The nurse held the door open for John as he carried Stiles out of the room and out of the hospital.

 

* * *

 

John pulled into the garage at their home and looked at his passenger. Stiles was sleeping deeply, curled into a ball against the door. He sighed and opened the door. He walked to the passenger side of the car and slowly opened the door using his hand to prevent his son from falling out the car. Stiles's eyes fluttered open and he looked groggily around at his dad.

"Come on, kiddo," John whispered softly. "Let's get you to bed."

He leaned down and easily picked up the small boy. Stiles loosely wrapped his arms around his dad's neck and the older man carried him into the house. He tossed his keys into the bowl by the door and put his free hand gently on Stiles's back as he carried him upstairs to his room. There he set the sleepy ten-year-old on his bed and pulled off his shoes. How he managed to get the boy changed into his pajamas he had no idea but Stiles tried to help a little despite how medicated he was. Finally, John gently pushed Stiles to lay down and covered him with the blankets. Stiles blinked sleepily up at him. 

"Sleep, Stiles," John whispered, running a hand through his hair. "It'll be okay."

"What about Mama?" he asked, blinking slowly. "She was so mad at me."

'No, baby. She wasn't mad at you," John said firmly. "This disease, it makes her see things that aren't there. Believe things that aren't true." He paused and reached over to push the boy's hair out of his face. "I want you to remember something. To always remember this through the darkest days and the lightest of moments, okay?"

He waited until Stiles nodded before continuing. "You are the greatest gift ever given to your mother and me. She was so excited to find out we were expecting and she loves you with all her heart. This disease is not a true reflection of what she feels about you, okay? She loves you, always has and always will."

Tears filled Stiles's eyes. "I miss her."

John leaned down and hugged his boy tightly. "I know. Me too, kiddo. Me too." He laid Stiles back down and pulled the covers up. "Now get some sleep, okay? It's been a long day."

Stiles nodded and rolled over, curling around his pillow. He was asleep before John had even left the room, leaving the door open a crack in case Stiles had a nightmare. He had been having them with increasing regularity since his mom's diagnosis.

The Sheriff headed downstairs. He wasn't quite ready to head to bed himself yet. It was barely ten o'clock after all. Instead, after what happened earlier that night, he needed a drink. After pouring himself a glass of Jack Daniels, he collapsed into his favorite armchair and looked around. Even here in the living room, he couldn't escape the reality that was his life now. Claudia's beloved books were set on the tables within easy reach for her as she had gotten increasingly sicker and incapable of moving around. Stiles's schoolbag and a couple of notebooks were spread out over the coffee table where he had been doing homework just that afternoon. Through an open doorway, he could see his own case work covering the table. He had been trying to get some work done before the two of them would go to see Claudia.

Claudia. He was losing his beloved wife. It had just been yesterday when Dr. Gardiner had confided that there was nothing more they could do for her. The delusions were only going to get worse and she would be lucky to make it to the end of the year. He was losing his best friend, the love of his life, and Stiles was losing his mother. He hadn't found a way to tell his son yet though as perceptive as his boy was, it wouldn't surprise him if Stiles had already figured it out or looked it up. John had no idea what to do anymore. Claudia was dying, Stiles was suffering and he was barely hanging on by a thread. If it hadn't been for the McCalls, Melissa, her husband Rafael, and Stiles's best friend, Scott, he had no doubt they wouldn't have lasted as long as they had. God, he was exhausted.

Melissa was right. With the oppressive news about Claudia and what happened tonight, he needed a break. Stiles, his sweet, hyperactive Stiles, needed a break. Even as tired and busy as he had been, it still didn't escape his notice that his son had been quieter the last couple of weeks and more subdued. He had been doing everything he had been asked and even helped keep the house clean. John hadn't even had any behavioral calls from his school. It was disconcerting, especially for a kid that was so full of energy, laughter, and joy. It was time for the pair to get away from the impending dark clouds hovering around them. They needed to regroup before the reality of the next few months hit them.

John poured himself a second glass and while he sipped the blissfully numbing liquid, he started thinking of what he could do with Stiles for the weekend that would get them away from everything. Perhaps, a camping trip. Or fishing. A friend of his had a cabin a couple hours away from Beacon Hills and after Claudia's diagnosis had offered it to John any time he wanted to get away. It had a lake next to it that he and Stiles could swim in or fish in. They could leave Friday and maybe not come back until Monday. Stiles would have room to run and play and be a kid again. Yes, that was not a bad idea at all. He might just have to take his friend up on that offer.

By his third glass, John had decided that the coming weekend would be just him and Stiles. He had also decided that he needed to eat more as the liquor was already hitting him and he seriously doubted he would be able to make it up to his own bedroom. Instead, he decided he would just stretch out on the couch instead. Tired and slightly buzzed, John kicked off his shoes and laid out on the couch. He didn't intend to sleep heavily in case Stiles needed him, but before he knew what had happened, he was sound asleep.


	2. The Aftermath

When John woke, it was to the smell of toast and the sounds of eggs cooking. The smell of it was amazing and for just a second, the Sheriff believed that his wife was the one in the kitchen cooking breakfast. He settled in to doze some more when reality hit him hard like a fast train and he bolted straight up. Claudia was in the hospital. It was just him and Stiles in the house. Stiles.

John jumped up, swayed for a minute before regaining his bearings and rushing to the kitchen. Stiles, using oven mitts of all things, was scrambling eggs. A plate of toast sat on the counter.

"Stiles?! What the hell are you doing?" he asked incredulously. 

The ten-year-old jumped at the sudden shout of his name and turned. John swallowed back another sound and tried not to show any type of reaction. His boy's face looked even worse then it had last night. The scratches were bright red against his pale skin. A couple of small bruises had developed around the scratches and the one on his collarbone had darken to a deep black and purple. John hated to see what his back looked like. The worse thing though was the look on his face. Stiles's brown eyes were wide and frightened. He was chewing on his lower lip worriedly. He looked like he was terrified of his dad's reaction. Feeling his heart break that his child would ever be afraid of with him or Claudia, he softened his voice.

"Kiddo, what are you doing? You know you are not supposed to use the stove without your mom or I here," John said gently.

"I-I know but you were sleeping and I was hungry," Stiles whispered. "I-I thought you would like some breakfast."

John came around and knelt in front of his child. "That's very kind of you, Stiles, but you know the stove is off limits." He looked up at what Stiles had been making. "Is that eggs? When did you learn how to make eggs?"

John was thoroughly confused. Claudia had been sick for two years now and neither of them would have been able to find the time to show the growing boy how to cook even if he had shown any interest.

Stiles smiled shyly up at him. "Mrs. Melissa and Mr. McCall showed me. I-I-I wanted to learn something so I can help." The smile fell from his lips and he looked down at his hands. "S-since Mama is in the hospital and you're always working."

John knew then his heart was fully broken and he pulled his son into a hug. It took a moment for Stiles to return it but he hugged his neck tightly after a moment. When he pulled away, John made sure he was looking in Stiles's eyes. "Thank you, Stiles. That's very kind and grown up of you. I'll tell you what. Why don't we cook a few meals together so I can see what you've learned and maybe teach you a few things? If I feel you can handle it and will be responsible, I'll lift the stove ban on the condition that for now you stick to only what I know you can make. Deal?"

Stiles smiled shyly at him. "Deal." 

"Alright." He looked over the kitchen and was amazed by the relative cleanliness of everything. He turned back to his son and squinted at him with one eye closed smiling mischievously. "I think I can leave you here for a few minutes while I go get cleaned up, hm? What do you think? Do you promise not to burn done the house?"

Stiles giggled and nodded. "I promise."

"Okay. I'll be back in a few minutes." He kissed his son's hair and went upstairs, making a mental note to talk to Melissa about not forewarning him with Stiles's new skills.

Upstairs, John decided to test Stiles and took a shower instead of just cleaning up like he had originally intended. Half an hour later, he walked back downstairs having showered, shaven, and changed into clean clothes. He had a slight hangover from the three glasses of Jack Daniels but nothing he couldn't manage. At the bottom of the stairs, he closed his eyes and prepared himself for what he would find in the kitchen. After a moment, he turned and stopped dead in the doorway.

Stiles had pulled the little step stool out of the laundry room and was standing at the sink, concentrating so hard on scrubbing the pan he cooked the eggs in that his tongue was sticking out of his mouth. On the kitchen table, he had moved his father's files to one side of the table, leaving room for the two of them to eat. On the table was a large plate of scrambled eggs and the plate with six or eight pieces of toast. There were no dinner plates because they were in a cabinet that was higher than the little boy could reach but silverware sat ready on the place mats.

John shook himself out of his stupor and walked into the kitchen where he wrapped his arms around his son and lifted him up in a surprise grab. Stiles shrieked and giggled.

"Dad! What are you doing?!" he laughed.

"You're amazing, kid," John told him, smiling. "Absolutely amazing."

He set the boy down. "Let's leave this and eat before your breakfast gets cold, okay?"

Stiles agreed and dried his hands on the towel. He sat at the table while John got plates and fixed himself a cup of coffee and Stiles a cup of chocolate milk. They ate breakfast quietly. John was amazed that everything was really good. Stiles had a natural talent for cooking. He might have to teach his boy a few more things since he was willing to learn. He watched Stiles while they ate, looking for any more signs of trauma or any indication of the boy being upset, but the boy was eating contently looking proud of himself for successfully making breakfast and swinging his legs.

After they had eaten all the toast and most of the eggs, John eyed his son over his cup of coffee. He decided to broach the subject. He had already texted his friend and gotten the okay to use the cabin. It was as good as time as any.

"I've been thinking, Stiles," he started casually. "It's been a long, rough couple of months for us. I was thinking it might be nice for the two of us to get away for a few days and regroup."

Stiles looked up, confused. He bit his lip again. "But what about Mama? Who's going to take care of her?" he asked softly.

"Mama's going to remain in the hospital for the foreseeable future, kiddo," the Sheriff said gently. "Don't worry. Mrs. Melissa will be there to take care of her and I'll have my phone on me at all times in case of an emergency."

Stiles was silent for a moment, thinking. "Where will we go?"

"Do you remember my old friend, Mr. Schimdt? He has a cabin a couple of hours from here next to a lake. I thought we could go stay there for a couple of days and fish and swim. What do you think?"

"What about school?" was the boy's next surprising question.

"What? Stiles Stilinski worried about school? What weird twilight zone have I woken into?" John teased earning a smile out of his school. "Well since's it's Wednesday, I was going to keep you home anyway for the next couple of days because of..." he trailed off. Stiles hadn't said anything about what had happened and he didn't want to disturb whatever peace his boy had found or knock down whatever wall Stiles had built up to protect himself. "Anyway, I thought we'd leave Friday and come back Monday. What do you think?"

"It would just be the two of us? No one else?"

"No one else. I'll get your makeup work from school and you can finish it today and tomorrow. No school, no work, Just you and me, bud."

Stiles was quiet for several minutes, thinking it over. John waited patiently, sipping his coffee. Finally, Stiles jumped up and ran over to his father, throwing his arms around his neck.

"I think it's the best idea in the whole world."

John returned the hug gently minding his son's back. "I'm glad." They pulled apart and he put his hands on his boy's shoulders. "Your eggs were excellent by the way and I think you have a natural ability in the kitchen. Think about what you want to learn, okay? I have a few things myself I can teach you."

Stiles nodded enthusiastically. "I'd like that a lot. I want to help out, Dad."

"I know you do, kiddo. Now I will have to work the next couple of days. Can I trust you to remain here by yourself without some royal disaster? Especially if I go in this morning and get your schoolwork?"

Stiles nodded happily. In the last year, he had had to stay by himself for a couple of hours until his dad got home while his mom was in the hospital but never for the full day. After the success of breakfast, he was ready to prove to his dad he could handle more responsibilities. It hadn't escaped his notice that his dad was being stretched incredibly thin and he felt guilty for adding more to it.

"Yes. I'll be good. I'll do my schoolwork and I have my video games." He grinned mischievously at his dad. "I promise I won't destroy the house."

John chuckled. "I would appreciate that. I'll tell you what. I'll talk to Melissa and if you want, Scott can come over after school and keep you company, okay?"

"Thanks, Dad."

John ruffled his hair. "Thanks for breakfast. Come on, let's clean up together before I go get your school work."

 

* * *

 

Two hours later, John left Stiles at their house with promises to check on him throughout the day and getting promises in the return that the ten-year-old would do his school work and behave. For an extra measure, John threatened his son that if he couldn't behave, tomorrow he would be stuck with a babysitter and he would make sure it was the oldest, crankiest woman he could find.

John had retrieved the boy's schoolwork an hour ago, claiming his son was sick with a bug and would be out for the next few days. When he had left, Stiles was sitting at the coffee table working through his math problems. The Sheriff didn't really have to be at work until ten so he thought he would stop in for a quick visit to the hospital. He also had a few questions for Melissa.

At the hospital, he checked on Claudia and was relieved to see her still sleeping deeply. He leaned over and kissed her cheek and reassured her sleeping form that Stiles was okay but he wasn't going to visit at least for today. He hadn't decided yet if they would have a visit tomorrow.

Next, he found Melissa filling out charts at the nurses' station. She looked up as he approached.  
 "Hey. How's Stiles?" she asked.

"He seems okay this morning. He didn't mention yesterday and I didn't want to bring it up," John responded. "Was that the right thing to do? Should I bring it up with him?"

Melissa was quiet for a minute. "It's hard to say. I know you talked with him yesterday but maybe it's best to let it be for Stiles for now. Let him sort through it on his own. He didn't mention it at all?"

He shook his head. "He was a little timid this morning but that's about it. Didn’t mention what happened or his wounds.” He paused. "Speaking of this morning, a certain little boy surprised me with breakfast this morning. Says a certain nurse and her husband taught him?"

Melissa smiled. "He wanted to do something so badly to help you out. He told me the two of you don't eat at home a lot anymore. Rafe and I just showed him some easy things to make. Eggs. Soup. Things that shouldn't cause the kitchen to melt down."

"I'm glad you did. He looked so proud of himself and I think after yesterday, he needed the confidence boast. I decided to let him stay home today and tomorrow. Figured he didn’t want any questions over what happened to him. Is there anything I can give him that will help clear the redness faster?”

Melissa nodded. “That’s probably a good idea. I’ll give you some of the ointment I used last night. And cold compresses. That should take the redness out in time for him to return to school on Friday.”

John smiled slyly. “Oh but he’s not returning to school on Friday.”

“He’s not? But you said you were keeping him home only today and tomorrow.” Melissa asked bemusedly.

John nodded and looked at his friend. “I’m going to take your advice. A friend of mine has a cabin a couple of hours from here. Stiles and I are going to spend the weekend there with no school, no work, no Claudia.”

“Oh, John. That’s fantastic! It’ll be so good for both of you.”

“I think so too. Would you mind keeping an eye on Claudia while we are gone? I’ll have my phone in case of an emergency.”

“Of course. I’m working all weekend and I’ll let the others know that if something happens, to contact me first and if it is a true emergency, I’ll let you know.”

John smiled. “Thank you, Melissa. For everything.” He straightened to leave but stopped. “One more thing, I told Stiles that Scott could come over today after school to keep him company. I’m a little nervous though on what he will say when he sees Stiles.”

Melissa held up her hand. “Say no more. I’ll talk to Rafe and when he picks Scott up, I’ll have him take him to your house and forewarn him on Stiles’s condition. Scott’s usually pretty sensitive. I doubt he’ll say anything to hurt him.”

“Yeah he’s a great kid.”

“They both are.”

John nodded. “Well I should get to work. Thanks, Melissa, again. For everything.”

She smiled warmly. “Anytime, John. Anytime.”

 

* * *

 

The next two days proved to be quiet for the little family. John was relieved and pleasantly surprised when he arrived home Wednesday that not only was the house still standing but it was as clean as he had left it. Stiles had finished most of his schoolwork except for a few assignments that he would be able to complete the next day before lunch. He and Scott were curled up in the living room, playing Mario Kart, when John made it home after stopping one more time at the hospital to check on Claudia. She seemed unaware of what had transpired the day before but was happy that Stiles was spending time with Scott. She hated that he spent so much time in the hospital with her.

That night since the boys had refrained from destroying the house, John treated them to pizza. He was happy to see Scott treat Stiles exactly the same. He didn't stare at his friend's face or ask any questions. Rafe had sent him a text telling him that he had explained to Scott that Stiles was in an accident and it would perhaps be better not to bring it up with the other boy. Rafe had stayed a few minutes with the boys to make sure everything was fine and before he left, he had stayed in the kitchen out of sight to see what the boys would talk about once they thought he was gone. He had been happy to report that Scott never mentioned his friend's injuries and the pair had talked about school with Stiles littering Scott with questions about Lydia. John thanked God for sending Scott to Stiles. He really couldn't have asked for a better friend for his son.

Once they had taken the other boy home and Sties had gotten ready for bed, John applied the ointment to his injuries. It was then he knew for certain that Stiles had put up a wall regarding last night. He didn't look at all at John and he seemed to shut down completely only coming out of it when John was done and started talking to him about their trip. If he hadn't talked to Melissa and the psychologist on staff at the station about how to handle the whole situation, he would have been concerned. He still was but at least he understood now that Stiles's mind was trying to protect the child from what was a traumatizing event. With his mother's illness, the incidence had proven too much and his mind was storing it away for when he could better deal with it. That's what the station psychologist had said. John was secretly relieved and grateful. He himself was still trying to process what had happened. He didn't want that pain on his child at all.

Thursday proved to be an even better day. The ointment Melissa had given had worked wonders already. The red welts now mere pink lines that should be gone by Friday. The cuts had proven to look worse then they really were. Once the red went down, they looked like Stiles had merely cut himself playing. The bruising on his collarbone was still a deep purple but like his back could be easily hidden. John could tell they still hurt his boy though when he moved wrong, but Stiles only seemed annoyed at the pain. His only comment that he must have fallen hard off his skateboard.

They made breakfast together and John was impressed at Stiles's efforts to be safe. Whatever Rafe and Melissa had said to him about the stove had stuck and the kid did his best to not burn down the house or himself. Not mention the fact that the kid could actually cook. Stiles finished his schoolwork early and John rewarded him by taking him out to lunch during his break. He spent the afternoon playing video games with Scott again and when John returned home, he helped his son pack for their trip the next day.

The only hard part was when Stiles asked about Claudia Thursday night while he sat on his parents bed while his dad packed. The ten-year-old was worried that Claudia would be lonely with them gone. It was the opposite. John had told Claudia about the trip that afternoon and she had been excited for them. Still, Stiles loved his mother and while John would prefer to wait until they got back, he agreed that they could stop by the hospital on their way out. So on Friday, they ate a quick breakfast, loaded up the car and made a stop at the hospital.

Stiles had his favorite book in his lap. It was one Claudia and he had been reading a few months ago before she was admitted to the hospital for this last time. One of their mother-son bonding activities had been reading since Stiles was a baby. Nowadays, Stiles liked reading to Claudia when she wasn't feeling well. When she was feeling like herself, they often read together switching between chapters. At a stoplight, John looked over at his son. Stiles looked slightly apprehensive, chewing his lip and playing with the edges of the pages.

"You okay, kiddo?" he asked gently. He was curious what his son would say.

Stiles looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah. I just...feel a little nervous. I don't know why. It's Mama. She's never hurt me."

John looked at him surprised. Stiles was talking like he didn't even remember what had happened a couple of days ago. Was his mind repressing the memory to the point that Stiles would never even remember it happened at all? If that was true, John was curious where the boy thought he got his injuries. The redness had thankfully disappeared and the cuts looking like mere scratches while the bruising was easily hidden by his shirt, though it was still a dark purple. Stiles seemed oblivious to it though.

They pulled into the hospital parking lot. John turned off the car and looked at his son. "Stiles, Mama knows about our trip. We can wait until we come back if you want."

"Why would we wait, Dad?" Stiles asked confused. "I want to give Mama this book while we're gone to keep her company. She doesn't get to read as much as she probably likes to anymore."

John smiled at his son's compassion. "That is true. Alright. Let's go visit for a few minutes before we have our boys weekend."

As they entered the hospital, Stiles suddenly reached for his hand and held it tightly. He didn't really know why and he didn't understand. He just knew that the moment they entered the hospital there was a surge of uncertainty and anxiety and he found himself pressing himself to the comforting presence of his father. At the door to his mother's room, he stepped slightly behind his dad but then the door opened and his mother's familiar voice washed over him.

"Hey, my loves," Claudia said, happily upon seeing her son and husband.

Whatever fear Stiles had vanished in an instant and he hurried to his mother's side. "Hi Mama." 

Claudia reached down and hugged her son lovingly while John watched cautiously, ready to step in the moment things went wrong.

"What are the two of you doing here? I thought you were leaving for your trip this morning." She asked, ruffling her son's hair.

"I wanted to bring you a book so you won't be bored while we're gone," Stiles said putting the book on her lap. 

John came up behind him and bent to kiss her on her cheek. "We thought we'd check in one last time before we left."

"Well that was very sweet of my boys." Claudia picked up the book in her lap and read the title. "Thank you, baby. I know this is your favorite book."

Stiles sighed happily and leaned over, hugging her again. He had climbed into the chair beside the bed so he could reach her. Claudia smiled and pressed a kiss to Stiles's hair. John relaxed and settled in the chair next to the one Stiles was half standing on. This was the type of interaction he was used to between his wife and son. With a smile, he leaned over and lifted Stiles's legs and deposited them on the bed so his son was laying beside his mother. Both Claudia and Stiles giggled and he was glad once more that his son was small for his age.

They chatted for a few minutes about Stiles learning to cook and school. Then, Stiles asked if he could read one chapter to his mom before they left. John agreed and Claudia settled back with Stiles in her arms as he opened the book.

John leaned back and watched the ten year old read to his mother, occasionally exchanging smiles with his wife. Stiles was clearly influenced by Claudia because just as she had done during his childhood, he used different voices for the characters and read the descriptions with such dramatic flair, he had both his parents laughing. Despite his smile, John felt a hollow space in his heart knowing this peace would not last much longer. The happiness of the moment was bittersweet. From what the doctor had told him, Claudia's periods of lucidity would become further and farther between and the mom Stiles so adored would slowly disappear. He had no idea what he would do when that time came and it devastated him to know that Stiles's last memories of his mother would be in the grips of this disease. For now, it was important that his boy created memories like these. Maybe if he created enough, they would diminish the horror of a few days ago and the months to come.

After an hour, Claudia began to look sleepy though she tried to hide it from Stiles. John though saw it and as his son ended a chapter, he put his hand on his leg.

"Hey kiddo," he said gently. "It's getting late and we should be getting on the road. Why don't we go and leave your mom to rest?"

Stiles, ever the perceptive child, nodded and kissed Claudia on the cheek. "Yes. You're looking very tired, Mama. You should get some sleep."

Claudia smiled at her son. "I will if you promise to have fun with your dad this weekend."

Stiles promised and hugged his mom tightly. "Love you, Mama."

"Love you too, baby," Claudia whispered in his ear, kissing his hair. John helped him down before leaning over and kissing his wife gently on the lips. She smiled up at him and said softly. "Have fun this weekend."

"We will," he replied. "Melissa will be here if you need anything, okay?"

She touched his cheek before pushing playfully on his shoulder. "Go. Don't worry about me. Our very impatient son is waiting."

Stiles was indeed dancing on the balls of his feet, anxious now to get going. John chuckled. "Alright. Alright. Come, kid. Let's hit the road."

They said their goodbyes and left Claudia to rest. In the car, after buckling his seatbelt and making sure Stiles was buckled as well, John looked over at his son.

"Ready, kiddo?" he asked warmly.

Stiles nodded happily. "Ready."

"Alright, let's get our boys weekend started then." John pulled out of the hospital parking lot and onto the highway.

Their world had been rocked and it wasn't over yet. John had no idea what the next few months would bring but he would do whatever it took to protect Stiles through the worst of it and if the past week had been any indication, the worst had yet to come. He promised himself he would never bring up or mention that night unless Stiles did. If he never remembered it, then all the better. The only thing he could do was make sure that for as long as possible Stiles's innocence remained intact. It was his first and most important job.


End file.
